Indoor Air Quality

10. Conclusions and recommendations

Assessing the health risks of indoor air pollution is very
difficult as indoor air may contain over 900 different
chemicals, particles and biological materials with potential
health effects.

Also, many different factors influence air quality, for
example ventilation, cleaning conditions, properties of
buildings, products used in households, cultural habits, climate
and outdoor environment. Therefore, large variations in indoor
environments can be expected across the EU.

The European Commission Scientific Committee on Health and
Environmental Risks
(SCHER) concludes the
following:

The principles used in the EU for
risk assessment of
chemicals should also be applied to health risk assessment
of pollutants in indoor environments.

The information available to
assess the risk of
indoor air is in general limited. More data are needed,
particularly on health effects of particles and microbes,
levels of exposure, and effects of indoor pollutants on vulnerablepopulations. Several
gaps in knowledge have been identified
(see
Question 9)
and should be addressed by European-wide multidisciplinary
research.

Data on true exposure to
volatile organic compounds
emitted by numerous consumer products is insufficient to
establish a link with possible health effects because of the
many
confounding factors.
Some of these emitted substances may react in air and on
surfaces and produce
secondary pollutants
such as fine and
ultrafine particles whose health effects are poorly
understood.

More research is needed to understand how humidity and
mould problems in
buildings can affect health and to evaluate the seriousness
of the problem in EU countries.

Considering the impact of indoor exposure when
evaluating the health effects of outdoor air pollution,
given that concentrations of air pollutants are usually
higher indoors and that people tend to spend more time
indoors.

Evaluating all relevant sources known to contribute to
indoor air pollution, such as tobacco smoke, candles and
open fires, building materials, furniture, pets and pests,
use of household products, and conditions that lead to the
growth of
moulds.